Margaret Slagle

​Margaret Slagle Now, 13 years and counting, Margaret and Shelley continue to provide choral, organ and piano music for worship at Nestucca Valley Presbyterian Church. 12-8-18​

Margaret Slagle and Shelley Stoll are now in the twelfth year of their musical partnership at Nestucca Valley Presbyterian Church. We share all music duties including planning, organ and piano playing, choir and hymn selection for worship.

​Margaret Slagle Music for Worship continues to be a priority for Margaret with musical partner Shelley at Nestucca Valley Presbyterian Church. We plan and present all service music with Jeannine’s guidance and expertise.

Margaret Slagleand Shelley Stoll continue providing organ and piano music plus choir leadership at Nestucca Valley Presbyterian Church. As a music team we play for each Sunday’s worship service plus arrange a few special services annually devoted to music history and performance at NVPC.

Margaret Slaglehas been providing organ and piano music plus choir leadership for 8 + years in partnership with Shelley Stoll. Margaret and Shelley continue to plan and produce the music for Nestucca Valley Presbyterian Church in Pacific City which includes each Sunday worship service, a 15 member choir plus special holiday performances. Our musical partnership has lasted 8 years with no arguments and plans for many more years of shared music.

Margaret Slagle and Shelley Stoll continue providing organ and piano music plus choir leadership at Nestucca Valley Presbyterian Church. As a music team we play for each Sunday’s worship service plus arrange a few special services annually devoted to music history and performance at NVPC. Our current project is becoming familiar with the new Presbyterian hymnal ‘Glory to God’. With 853 selections, we look forward to teaching our congregation new ways of worship through music. 6-2-14

Margaret Slagle has been providing organ and piano music plus choir leadership for 8 + years in partnership with Shelley Stoll. As a music team we play for each Sunday’s worship service plus arrange a few special services annually devoted to music history and performance at NVPC. This summer Margaret married Ron Carter, a retired Presbyterian minister. Beach living and dogs remain favorite activities. A Pembroke Welsh Corgi named Shadow is the current canine in my life. 12-7-2013

Margaret Slagle continues to enjoy facilitating music at Nestucca Valley Presbyterian Church as choir director as well as playing the organ and piano in partnership with Shelley Stoll. The latest addition to her life at the beach is the companionship of a 9 year old corgi named Shadow.

Margaret Slagle has lived full time in Pacific City for 10 years. She is a retired nurse and public health manager. For the past 6 + years she and Shelley have planned and presented the music at NVPC which continues to be a joy and challenge. Beach life, two dogs, family, and occasional travel fill the rest of her time. 12-9-12

Margaret Slagle continues to make slow but steady progress on the organ with not many days being non-practice days. Bailey and Dino share her home at the beach. Shelley and Margaret continue to provide organ, piano and choir music for church.

Student Recital December 8 2018

Love Divine, All Love’s Excelling……arr. Michael BurkhardtThis beloved and much-used hymn, written by Charles Wesley (1707 – 1788), was a reworking of a song by John Dryden from the fifth act of his opera King Arthur, for which Henry Purcell wrote the music: Fairest Isle, all isles excelling, Seat of pleasures and of loves; Venus here will choose her dwelling And forsake her Cyprian groves.Wesley’s reuse of this material – even to the point of retaining the rhyme words of the first and third lines – was not an effort to take advantage of something new and trendy (this opera debuted sixteen years before he was born) but an expression of his conviction that nothing was beyond redemption or could not be enlisted for God’s purposes. So, a song by the mythological goddess of love is adapted as a hymn celebrating the true divine love.

A Carol Medley……………………………arr. Margaret SlagleCarols were first sung in Europe thousands of years ago but these were not Christian carols. They were pagan songs, sung at the Winter Solstice celebrations as people danced around stone circles. The word CAROL actually means dance or a song of praise and joy. Early Christians took over the pagan solstice celebrations and gave people Christian songs to sing. In 129 a Roman Bishop said a song called “Angel’s Hymn” should be sung at Christmas. By the Middle Ages most people had lost interest in celebrating Christmas altogether. However, this changed in 1223 when St. Francis of Assisi started his Nativity Plays in Italy. Actors in the plays sang songs or ‘canticles’ that told the stories. The new carols were first sung in Latin but quickly spread to France, Spain, Germany and other European countries.

​Balm in Gilead……………………….…………arr. Emily Maxson PorterA BALM is an aromatic, medicinal substance derived from plants. GILEAD was an area east of the Jordan River, well known for its spices and ointments. The expression stems from William Tyndale’s language in the King James Bible of 1611 (Jeremiah 8:22), which has come to signify a universal cure in figurative speech. Musically, it is recognized as a traditional African American spiritual, however this arrangement by Emily Maxson Porter, organist at St. Philip’s Lutheran Church in Fridley, Minnesota, offers new insight and beauty to this beloved melody.

​Battle Hymn of The Republic….William Stefffe Arr. Tedd Smith & Don HustadOf all the songs written about the Civil War, “Battle Hymn of the Republic” became the most important song for the Union. The words were written by Julia Ward Howe using music from the song “John Brown’s Body”. The melody first gained popularity near Charleston, SC, where it was sung as a Methodist camp meeting song, particularly in churches attended by free Blacks. By contrast, it was also used early on as a marching song on army posts. The song gathered new verses following the insurrection at Harper’s Ferry, led by John Brown and carried out by 19 men on October 16, 1859. Following a visit to Washington DC by Julia Ward Howe in 1861, the song came to be called the “Battle Hymn of the Republic”. Howe and her husband were active abolitionists. They observed first hand skirmishes between Confederate and Union troops in Virginia where they heard troops march into battle singing “John Brown’s Body”. That evening, November 18, 1861, Ward was inspired to write a poem that better fit the music. The poem began “Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord”. Her poem was first published in the Atlantic Monthly in February 1862 and soon became known as “The Battle Hymn of the Republic”.

Londonderry Air…………...arr. Mike Davis; adapted for organ by Margaret Slagle This melody originated in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It was first published in 1855. The origin of the tune is somewhat mysterious but has grown to be a favorite around the world. The tune is played as a victory anthem of Northern Ireland at the Commonwealth Games. The familiar song Danny Boy uses the tune with a set of lyrics written in the early 20th century. Other uses of the tune include several hymns, an Irish love song and even a version of Amazing Grace. ​

It’s All About The Dog - Organ duet……… arr. Dr. Robin DindaPeople who love dogs understand how easily it really does become all about the dog. Oh Where, Oh Where Has My Little Dog Gone uses the melody of a German folk song, then was arranged with lyrics by American songwriter Septimus Winner in 1864. Winner’s actual title was Der Deitcher’s Dog and featured lyrics which made fun of German immigrants. Poking fun at ethnic groups was considered a legitimate source of humor in American popular song in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Bingo is an Anglo-American folk song that has been sung to numerous lyrics since its first mention in the late 18th century. Dr. Dinda is currently Professor of Humanities at Fitchburg State College in Fitchburg, MA, and is Coordinator of Music at First Parish (Unitarian – Universalist) in Fitchburg.

Berceuse……………………………………………Louis VierneVierne dedicated the Berceuse to his daughter Colette, who was born in January 6, 1907. Vierne, despite his terrible vision (he was near-blind from birth due to congenital cataracts), was a well-regarded and beloved composer and teacher of organ music, and served as principal organist at Notre Dame in Paris from 1900 – 1937. He actually died at the organ, suffering a stroke near the end of his 175th organ recital. The Berceuse is one of his most frequently performed works. His music is noted for its harmonic subtleties – subjective yet elegant, emotional and yet sophisticated – and sensitive lyricism. His style , while clearly impressionistic, was disciplined by classical restraint and strengthened by a virile imagination. (Rollin Smith in Louis Vierne: Organist of Notre Dame Cathedral. Thanks to Ann Duzett )

Going home ………………………………...Antonin Dvorak

Going home, going home, I’m just going home.Quiet like – slip away – I’ll be going home.It’s not far, just close by; Jesus is the door.Work all done, laid aside. Fear and grief no more.Friends are there, waiting now. He is waiting too.See His smile. See His hand. He will lead me through.Morning Star lights the way; Restless dream all done.Shadows gone, break of day; Life has just begun.Every tear wiped away, Pain and sickness gone;Wide awake there with Him; Peace goes on and on.Going home, going home, I’ll be going home.See the light, See the sun; I’m just going home.(words by Wm. A .Fisher and Ken Bible) Antonin Dvorak (1841 – 1904) adapted Czech folk music to a classical style. He is best known for his orchestral works, which include nine symphonies, two sets of Slavic Dances and several symphonic poems. GOING HOME, the Largo movement, one of four from Antonin Dvorak’s New World Symphony, was composed in 1893 while he was the conductor of the National Conservatory of Music in America. Dvorak became interested in the Native American music and African-American spirituals he heard while visiting America. Going Home is often mistakenly considered an original folk song or a traditional spiritual. Neil Armstrong took a recording of the New World Symphony to the moon during the Apollo 11 Mission, the first moon landing in 1969.

​EVENSONG…………………………………………….……………… arranged Charles Callahan This piece is a blending of two old tunes. TALLIS CANON, one of nine tunes Thomas Tallis contributed to Matthew Parker’s Psalter, ca. 1561, was used as a setting for Psalm 67. AR HYD Y NOS, a Welsh melody, ca. 1784, over time has become a familiar theme from several iterations, even for us as a childhood lullaby. I invite you to join me by singing #36 in our hymnal. You will see that these words were written in 1970 as a harvest hymn.

A Native American Prelude………John G. Barr (1938 -) Professor of Organ and Piano, Bridgewater College, Virginia. “Let yourself be drawn to the stronger pull of that which you truly love. As you start to walk out of the way, the way appears. Experience is the path through knowledge and wisdom. Learn how to make your spirit dance. A deep secret is that life is not only a process of discovery but a process of creation. Seek therefore, not to find out who you are but seek to determine who you want to be.” Ancient Tribal Wisdom.

​He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands…………arr. Hugh Livingston/Charles CallahanWho among us does not enjoy the great wealth of African American music? The simple Biblical themes combined with the faith and hopes of an oppressed people stir similar emotions in all of us. Unfortunately, the individual authors are seldom known, however we can thank generations of descendants for keeping their music alive for us. The song made the popular charts in 1958 by British singer Laurie London. Mahalia Jackson’s version make the Billboard top 100 singles chart, topping at number 69.

Amazing Grace……………….arr. George Shearing Mr. Shearing was born in London in 1919. He was blind from birth. His only formal music training began at age 5 at the School for the Blind in London. George began recording his music in the early 1920s, subsequently moving to the US in 1947 where he developed the “Shearing sound” using piano, bass, drums, guitar and vibes. He performed in every possible venue throughout the years, often for charity. One of his favorite was Guide Dogs for the Blind in San Rafael, California where Leland, his own dog was trained. Later in his life he developed a passion for classical music, taking familiar themes to which he added that Shearing touch. The world lost a true musical genius when Mr. Shearing died on February 14, 2011.

Ashokan Farewell……………………..Jay UngerThis piece was written by Jay Unger in 1982. It served as a good night and farewell waltz at the annual Ashokan Fiddle and Dance Camps run by Ungar and his wife Molly Mason, located at the Ashokan Field Campus of SUNY in upstate New York. Ungar describes the song as coming out of a “sense of loss and longing” as the annual music and dance camps ended. This haunting melody usually begins with a solo violin, later accompanied by guitar and bass. The tune was later used as the title theme of the 1990 PBS television miniseries “The Civil War“ produced by Ken Burns. In this series, the theme is played 25 times throughout the 11 hour series.

How Firm a Foundation / Simple Gifts.......Janet Linker and David Evan Thomas This arrangement is a blending of unique variations for organ of these two familiar hymns. 'How Firm a Foundation' (Janet Linker) was commissioned for the 1001h anniversary of First United Methodist Church, London, Ohio in 2011. 'Simple Gifts' (David Evan Thomas) was arranged for the 2008 organ rededication at Saint John the Evangelist EpiscopalChurch,Saint Paul,Minnesota.The following variations are included: Hymn, Pastorale, Trumpet Tune, Trio, Allegro, Reverie and Finale.

Fairest Lord Jesus………………arranged by Lani Smith This is a Christian hymn with a familiar melody since the song exists in many languages. BEAUTIFUL SAVIOR is sung to the same melody which originated in Silesia where it has been known as a folk song for many years. The melody and its German text were first printed in 1842 under the name Schonster Herr Jesu (Most beautiful Lord Jesus).

In Dulci Jubilo……….setting by Paul Laubengayer This 14th Century German melody, is among the oldest and most famous of the ‘macaronic’ songs, meaning the text combines Latin with a vernacular language such as English or German. Five hundred years later, this song became the inspiration for the 1853 carol ‘Good Christian Men Rejoice’. At the end of the piece, please join in singing this carol, found on page 28 in The Presbyterian Hymnal.

A Hymn Medley What would we do without hymns? As we sing a new song to the Lord, let us not forget the old songs. It’s the sturdy old hymns that strengthen and steady us when we’re weary and worn. Hymns help us praise God. Hymns allow us to pray in song. Hymns connect us to generations now gone. Hymns give us a way of talking to ourselves, encouraging each of us as we worship God. How else can we all join our voices in united bursts of praise, lifting our spirits and creating a community of one, praising God! I’d like to share five of my favorite hymns with you this afternoon.

Holy God, We Praise Your Name……………………………arr. Dan MillerTune: GROSSER GOTT, WIR LOBEN DICH. The text is an English translation of the German versification of the Te Deum Laudamus by Clarence Augustus (later Alphonsus) Walworth. The hymn was first published in the Catholic Psalmist (Dublin, 1858). Later, Hall and Lasar’s Evangelical Hymnal (New York, 1880) dated the text to 1853. GROSSER GOTT, WIR LOBEN DICH is the tune long associated with this text. As was the German practice, it received its name from the first line of the poem and was first published in 1774.

Count Your Blessings………Johnson Oatman, 1897/arr. Dan Miller It’s impossible to be thankful and, at the same time, grumpy, cantankerous, critical or ill-tempered. That’s the lesson Johnson Oatman wanted to teach young people in his song “Count Your Blessings”. Johnson was born in New Jersey just before the Civil War. His father had a powerful singing voice so the young lad always wanted to stand by his father in church. In 1982, with his father’s voice undoubtedly ringing in his memory, Johnson began writing hymns which totaled 5,000 over his lifetime. “Count Your Blessings “ was published in a song book for young people in 1897 and reflected Johnson’s optimistic faith in God. MARGARET SLAGLE

Pachelbel (1653-1706) was a German Baroque composer, organist and teacher who composed a large body of sacred and secular music which became enormously popular during his lifetime. His best known piece is the Canon in D, the only canon he wrote. About 20 toccatas by Pachelbel survive which consist of relatively fast work by both hands over sustained pedal notes.

Click on arrow at right to hear this piece

Great Is Thy Faithfulness..............arranged by Dan Miller

The author of this hymn, Thomas O. Chisholm, was born in a log cabin in Kentucky and began teaching school at the young age of 16. He admits to no dramatic story about composing this hymn, however he sent a copy to his friend William Ronyan who published it in 1923. The hymn remained relatively unknown until popularized by George Beverly Shea and the choirs at the Billy Graham Crusades.

Click on arrow at right to hear this piece

_Silent Night, Holy
Night……………………….arranged by Dan MillerThis
is based upon the original Franz Xaver Gruber (1787-1863) manuscript for male
voices, choir and guitar.Rev. Joseph
Mohr wrote the original text in 1816 and Gruber added the melody in 1818.The first performance was with guitar and
voices at Midnight Mass in Obendorf, Austria, 1818.But wait!There’s more…….

_Three French Noels and Noel
Provencal……...........………………..P. CandeilleCandielle wasa 19th century French organist and
composer.Played on a Musette which is
a small bagpipe that gained popularity in France in the 17th and 18th
centuries.Noel Angevin……..…...Cesar
Franck, 1822-1890 Played
on the French harmonium,a small,
box-like instrument similar to an accordion.Bring a Torch, Jeanette
Isabella…............….. Traditional French carolPlayed
on flutes and handbells.MARGARET SLAGLE

…she turned around and saw Jesus standing there…John 20:14 C.A. Miles was a pharmacist who began writing gospel songs and eventually became an editor of hymnals and songbooks. His hobby was photography, and he found his darkroom perfect for developing not just photographs but his devotional life also. The enduring quality of this hymn comes from the composer’s ability to visualize the scene of Mary seeing the risen Christ in the garden.

“There is a Happy Land”…words by Andrew Young 1838; Music, Hinustani air, 1850. Organ arrangement by George Shearing.

The Scottish text tells of the eternal hope of Heaven, based on Psalm 149:5. The familiar theme was also used in some films; ‘Arsnic and Old Lace’, 1944, and ‘The King and I’, 1956. It is also a favorite song of Krazy Kat, the main character in a popular comic strip from the 1930-40s, where the song’s opening verse is willingly misspelled as “There is a heppy lend fur fur away.”

There is a Happy Land, far, far away. Where saints in glory stand, bright, bright as day. Oh to hear the angels sing, ‘Glory to the Lord our King’ Ever let His praises ring, praise, praise for aye.

Come to that Happy Land and come, come away. Why will you doubting stand? Why still delay? Truly we shall happy be, when from

sin and sorrow free, Father we shall live with thee, blest, blest for aye.

Hilf, Gott, das mirs gelinge (O Help Me, Lord, to Praise Thee)….....……….JS Bach The text of this chorale is a meditation on the story of the Passion.The original hymn tune is from Wissenfels in 1714.Bach took the hymn tune and added his own harmonization to be used as an introduction for congregational singing.Bach's version caused some complaints from folks who thought his version was too complicated.

Come, Ye Sinners, Poor and Needy………………….arr. George Shearing The original hymn tune is from the old gospel tune 'Restoration.'George Shearing was born in London in 1919.Blind from birth, his only formal music training was 4 years at a school for the blind in London.He began recording in his early 20's.He moved to the US in 1947 where he developed the 'Shearing Sound' using piano, bass, drums, guitar and vibes.Shearing has performed in every possible venue throughout the years.He plays often for his two favorite charities, the Hadley School for the Blind in Chicago and Guide Dogs for the Blind in San Rafael, CA, where Leland, his own dog was trained.Only in the last two decades did he develop his passion for classical and sacred music creating his own unique touch to traditional melodies.The gentle humor of George Shearing was displayed recently when an interviewer asked if he had been blind all his life."Not yet," Gorge thoughtfully replied.

The Church in the Wildwood……………………………………Dr. Wm. S. Pitts arranged by Dan Miller"The Church in the Wildwood" was written by Dr. Wm. Pitts in 1857. During a stagecoach ride to visit his fiancee in Fredericksburg, Iowa, the stage stopped at Bradford and allowed Pitts time to wander the area and enjoy the woodlands. Pitts found particular beauty in a wooded valley formed by the Cedar River. While viewing the spot, Pitts envisioned a church building there. Upon returning home, he wrote the words and music. In 1862, Pitts moved to Bradford to teach music at Bradford Academy. He was stunned to find a church being erected on the very spot he had imagined seven years before. The building was being painted brown because that was the least expensive color of paint available. Pitts had his class sing the song at the dedication of the new church. In later years the church became known simply as "The Little Brown Church". Dan Miller's arrangement has woven in several gospel themes which add interest to this familiar melody.

Isaac Watts wrote over 750 hymns which range from "Marching to Zion" to "Joy to the World." He is considered the father of English hymnody which means he was the first to adapt poetry and verse to hymns. Prior to this, hymns were sung almost entirely directly from the Bible. He had a history of nonconformity which began in childhood. As a child he once had to explain why his eyes were open in prayer. He said, "A little mouse, for want of stairs, Ran up a robe to say his prayers." Which resulted in a serious spanking, so he cried, "O father, do some pity take, and I will no more verses make."

MARGARET SLAGLEIs now saving gas as she no longer drives 45 miles to practice the organ at Jeannine's Lincoln City studio three to four times a week. Our church in Pacific City installed its new Rodgers 908 in September which, along with the Steinway from Shelley's family, have created much musical excitement. Never before has practicing been such a joy. Just prior to this, Margaret completed the first level of the BYU organ course with plans to begin the next level in 2009.

We both have been working on perfecting this piece for nearly a year. It was played for the dedication of our new sanctuary in Pacific City on October 26, 2008. It was placed on the program immediately following the dedication and sanctification of our new Rodgers organ and Steinway grand piano.

May 30, 2009

Bringing in the Sheaves…………………………………………………………………………………………Roger Thygerson Roger Thygerson's adaptation of this favorite gospel song includes a modern twist which includes jazz overtones and occasional big-band swing.Civil War veteran and singing school teacher George Austin Minor composed this upbeat tune for a text written by author, composer and evangelist Knowles Shaw in 1874.

Trio……………………………………………………………………………………………………Josef Rheinberger (1839-1901) When only seven years old Rheniberger was organist at Vaduz Parish Church and his first composition was performed the following year.In 1851 he entered the Munich Conservatory where he later became professor of piano and subsequently professor of 12 masses a requiem and a Stabat Mater.Today he is remembered almost exclusively for his elaborate and challenging organ compositions which include 2 concertos, 20 sonatas, 22 trios, 12 meditations, 24 fughettos and 36 solo pieces.MARGARET SLAGLE

Margaret Slagle continues to make slow but steady progress under Jeannine's masterful instruction.Once she and Shelley prepare the music for each Sunday's worship service at the church in Pacific City, Margaret spends practice time on organ assignments, now being about halfway through Level 2 of the BYU course.Plans are in the works for a performance of From Sea to Shining Sea on September 5th in Pacific City.